Iowa students lead in financial literacy, but could be better

Today (Monday) is the deadline for filing our state tax returns and soon, it’ll be time to forget about all of that taxing stuff for another 11 months, right? Not so, says Cindy Gleason, a certified financial planner in Waterloo. She says now is the perfect time to make a few alterations that could save you a bundle a year from now.

Gleason says “There’s no better time to start thinking about the next year then while it’s still fresh in your mind. You know where things are at, you’ve got them still put together, and before you shove them under the bed or in a drawer, think about what you could do for next year to actually improve your situation.” She says this is a perfect time to get all of your finances organized.

Gleason asks “Where are your insurance policies? Where are your wills? Where are all the pieces that fit together in your financial puzzle? Where are all of your statements?” She says it’s a great time to organize those things and allow you to go back and get those things you sometimes have to really search for.

Gleason suggests making your money work for you month by month so you don’t have a crisis at the tax deadline time of 2007. Gleason suggests sitting down with a financial planning professional and assessing whether they are maximizing their workplace retirement plans, change their withholding or their exemptions to put more money away for retirement to have a much better financial future.